Category Archives: Uncle Grumps

Privateer Press has a new batch of fightin’ bastards to liven up the ranks of numerous factions! This month’s offerings hail from not one, not two, but four warring coalitions from the Warmachine line. All solos too. As always I’ve linked each new selection to their corresponding page on the Miniture Market webpage, my personal favorite shopping spot for all things Warmachine & Hordes. So pull up a stool, because your old pal Uncle Grumps is going to bend your ear for a moment or two and give you his thoughts on these combatants. – Melvs

What’s up, Jerks? Your friendly neighborhood Uncle Grumps is back with another quick look at some new releases from Privateer Press. We have a varied selection of solos to scope out so let’s get started!

“Few deliverers survive long enough to gain true mastery of the weapons they wield, but those who do can earn the distinguished title of arms master, directing their charges in combat from the back lines. Tasked with the upkeep and repair of Skyhammer rockets and Sunburst artillery, they also train the faithful in the use of these devastating weapons.”

The Deliverer Arms Master has a similar stat line to the Deliverer Skyhammer unit. His MAT, RAT, DEF, and ARM are 1 point higher and his CMD is 2 higher. He also has the Tough ability. The Master is armed with a short range, POW 12 fire bomb that causes the Fire continuous effect on a crit. He also has a POW 7 sword, but if you’re using this something has most likely gone terribly wrong. The Arms Master has two special ability actions. The first is Combat Coordination [Deliverer] which allows a Deliverer model in the Master’s command range to re-roll one attack or damage roll. The other is High-Angle Fire which gives a friendly Faction model’s ranged, AoE weapons Arcing Fire. (Arcing Fire allows a model to ignore intervening models further than an inch away when attacking.) The Arms Master also has the Veteran Leader [Deliverer] ability which grants +1 to attack for other Deliverer models in this command range.

The Deliverer Arms Master greatly increases the effectiveness of several of the Protectorate of Menoth’s ranged options. The most obvious is the Deliverer Skyhammer unit. Combat Coordination allows the primary attacker in a Combined Ranged Attack to re-roll his attack or damage as necessary. Additionally, the +1 to attack rolls helps offset the -4 penalty from Inaccurate. Keep in mind that these abilities can also be applied to the Deliverer Suburst Crew unit. Veteran High-Angle Fire can help your models with AoE ranged attacks reach vulnerable parts of your opponent’s army. Keep in mind that High Angle Fire will work on any friendly Faction model. The Judicator, Revelator, and Vanquisher could all greatly benefit from Arcing Fire. The Deliverer Arms Master is a solid support solo and an auto-include for anyone who wants to get the most out of Deliverers.

“The artillery kapitans of the Winter Guard understand the true strength of Khadoran artillery. Under their command, crews lay down fearsome barrages just ahead of their advancing troops, decimating enemy lines while creating a chaotic environment that Khadoran forces can turn to their advantage. Often friendly troops are caught in these blasts, but a kapitan knows such losses are a necessary price of victory.”

The Winter Guard Artillery Kapitan has the same stat line at the members of the Winter Guard Infantry with the exception of 1 additional point of STR, MAT, RAT, and CMD. He is armed with the traditional Winter Guard Blunderbuss and Axe. He also has the tough ability. The Artillery Kapitan has access to three special action abilities. The first is Artillerist which gives a friendly Faction model in his command range +2 RAT on its next ranged AoE attack. The model affected is also able re-roll the direction or distance if the attack doesn’t directly hit and deviates. The Close Fire action gives a friendly Faction weapon crew unit the Clear! Ability. Clear! causes ranged attacks from the affected model to automatically miss friendly models. (And before you ask, yes the exclamation point is absolutely necessary when discussing Clear!) Finally we have Fire & Displace which gives a friendly Faction weapon crew Reposition [2″].

The Winter Guard Artillery Kapitan brings an interesting mix of abilities to the table. Fire & Displace greatly increases the mobility of both the Winter Guard Mortar Crew and the Winter Guard Field Gun. Reposition [2”] can help these units line up a shot for next turn or keep some distance between them and the enemy. Artillerist is an extremely powerful ability that can help any of Khador’s ranged options. Putting Artillerist on a Victor will partially eliminate the Inaccurate penalty of the Siege Mortar, and if you do miss, the re-roll on the deviation will help ensure that the 5” AoE lands where you need it. The Conquest, Destroyer, and Mortar Crew all benefit from Artillerist in similar ways. The Winter Guard Artillery Kapitan is a powerful support solo that will give you plenty of bang for your buck. (I couldn’t resist)

“With exaltation a remote hope at best, the ruthless warriors of the Venator caste take to the field for survival and victory instead. Relentless and cunning, Venator dakars are stern leaders with exacting standards. Under the watchful eye of a dakar, other Venators march quickly and take precise aim, proving they are every bit as skilled in dealing death as the more respected warriors of the skorne.”

The Venator Dakar has a similar stat block as a Venator Reiver with the only differences being his higher RAT and CMD. The Dakar is armed with the standard Reiver and Sword but the Weapon Master ability on his Reiver means he can dish out more damage than a standard Venator. The Dakar has two special action abilities. The first is Combat Coordination [Venator]. The ability works just like the Deliverer Arms Master’s Combat Coordination but it affects Venators instead of Deliverers. The second special action is Desperate Pace [Faction Weapon Crew]. This ability grants +2” of movement to a friendly Faction weapon crew in the Dakar’s command range. The Venator Dakar also has the Veteran Leader [Venator] ability which gives friendly Venator models in the Dakar’s command range +1 to attack rolls.

Just like our previous two entries, the Venator Dakar is a ranged support solo. Combat Coordination can help you Venator Reivers land an important combined ranged attack. It’s also handy for increasing the accuracy or damage of the Venator Catapult Crew and the Venator Flayer Cannon Crew. The Venator weapon crews also greatly benefit from Desperate Pace. An extra 2” of movement may not seem like much but the added threat range can take your opponent by surprise. Veteran Leader provides a +1 to hit for every Venator within nine inches of the Dakar. This includes the two weapon crews, the Reivers, and the Venator Slingers. I highly recommend bringing a Venator Dakar if you want to get the most out of the Skorne’s Venator units.

“A malevolent specter born of Cryxian magic, the Hellslinger Phantom bears a striking resemblance to the Cygnaran warcaster Allister Caine, and rumors suggest it was made from a sliver of his very soul. The Hellslinger Phantom mimics Caine’s style on the battlefield, firing runeshots akin to the ones employed by gun mages. First spotted in a remote town in northern Cygnar, the phantom slaughtered a large number of innocent civilians, and now every day it roams free, the body count grows.”

It looks like Caine has been moonlighting as a pistol wraith. Speaking of pistol wraiths, the Hellsinger Phantom has the same stat line as a standard wraith but with +1 RAT, DEF, and ARM. The Phantom also shares the pistol wraiths’ Undead, Incorporeal, and Gunfighter abilities in addition to Soul Taker: Body Count which allows the Hellsinger to claim enemy souls and Strength of Death which allows it to spend soul tokens to boast attack and damage rolls. The Hellsinger Phantom also has the ability Swift Hunter which lets it move 2” after destroying an enemy model with a ranged attack. The Phantom is armed with two Wraithstorm Pistols. These mid-ranged, POW 12 guns have three different attack types to choose from when making an attack: Critical Grievous Wounds which causes models that are hit to lose tough and the ability to be healed on a crit, Ghost Shot which ignores line of sight, concealment & cover, and Incendiary which changes the damage type to fire sets models hit ablaze. On top of all this, the Pistols also have Reload [1]. This allows the Phantom to make 1 additional ranged with each pistol per soul token spent.

The Hellsinger Phantom excels at hunting down enemy infantry. The Phantom’s first order of business should be to gather souls to make the most of Reload and Strength of Death. Just be careful after attacking. The Phantom loses Incorporeal after making an attack leaving it open to retaliation. Swift Hunter can help keep you safe by allowing you to re-position after destroying an enemy. This combination of powerful abilities makes the Hellsinger Phantom one mean combat solo.

Well folks, Old Man Melvin is tapping his foot and glaring at his pocket-watch* which means it’s time for me to wrap things up. ‘Til next time!

*It’s a new month so it’s time for some new miniatures from Privateer Press! This time the faction of note is none other than Khador. Now, Nick is already our most learned member of the group when it comes to Warmachine\Hordes, so it is no surprise I tap him so often for these reviews. This time though, we are talking about his main faction. This leaves no other choice than to once again welcome Uncle Grumps to the page. Take it away bud!

What’s up, Jerks? Uncle Grumps here with another quick look at some new releases from Privateer Press. Today we’ll be focusing on the glorious Empire of Khador.

“Assault Kommander Oleg Strakhov has spent decades carving a bloody trail through the kingdoms of western Immoren, eliminating high-profile targets and destabilizing opposing forces with well-orchestrated strikes. Strakhov stands as a Khadoran legend. Those who tell of his deeds speak of him as more specter than man, an unseen force capable of accomplishing impossible tasks under cover of night and leaving no evidence of his passage.”

Strakhov 2 is Khador’s newest warcaster unit. Strakhov’s stats are similar to those of his previous incarnation. He’s gained a point of MAT and DEF but lost a point of ARM. Strakhov has also kept his Pathfinder ability, which allows him to ignore rough terrain, his immunity to fire and corrosion damage, and his ability to ignore gas/cloud effects thanks to his Alchemical Mask. The Assault Kommander has also picked up a few new tricks. He’s gained an ability called Tactical Flexibility which allows him to give his unit Reposition [5”], Stealth, or Overtake for one round. On top of all that, he can also Assault, letting him make a ranged attack as part of a charge. Strakhov is armed with two Trench Swords. These are magical, POW 11 melee weapons that come with Grievous Wounds and the Combo Strike ability. Combo Strike is a special attack that allows Strakhov to add the POW of his weapon twice to the damage roll. Strakhov’s ranged weapon is the Death Whisper Carbine, a range 8” POW 6 gun that halves the ARM of models hit thanks to Armor-Piercing.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the two Kommandos that make up Strakhov’s unit. Their stats are similar to their Kommander’s. The Kommandos have one point less in MAT and ARM, and 3 points less in DEF. They share the following abilities with Strakhov: Alchemical Mask, Immunity: Corrosion, Immunity: Fire, Assault, and Pathfinder. They also have the ability to create a 3” AoE smoke bomb as a special action. The Kommandos are armed with the same Death Whisper Carbines as the Kommander and Trench Swords. These melee weapons are POW 11 and have Brutal Charge which gives them + 2 to charge attack damage rolls. The fun continues on Strakov’s spell card. His first spell is Inviolable Resolve, a low cost upkeep that gives a friendly Faction model/unit +2 ARM and prevents affected models from being moved by pushes or slams. Next is an interesting little spell called Last Stand. This a low cost upkeep that gives a friendly Faction model/unit and additional die on its melee attack and melee damage rolls. The catch is that after the model makes a melee attack, it’s destroyed at the end of your turn. Next up is Lock the Target, a low cost, POW 10 offensive spell that prevents the targeted model from running, charging, slamming, or trampling. He also has Quicken, a moderately priced upkeep that give a friendly Faction model/unit +2 SPD and +2 DEF against ranged and magic attacks. Last but not least, we have Return Fire, a dirt-cheap spell that allows the affected friendly Faction model to make a basic melee or ranged attack after it is targeted by an enemy ranged attack. Strakov’s feat is called Mission Critical. It gives friendly Faction warrior models in Strakov’s control range +3 ARM, Tough, and Feign Death.

I haven’t had a chance to get a game in with Strakov yet (Between the release of Persona 5 and the new season of Mystery Science Theater 3000, my free time is currently occupied.), so be advised that this article is going to be more Theory Machine-y than usual. Inviolable Resolve will work well with Iron Fang Pikemen, Man-o-War Shocktroopers, or any of Khador’s other stellar units. Last Stand gives you some interesting options. Keep in mind that the spell doesn’t have to be cast on warrior models. A Berserker with three focus and Last Stand sounds pretty nasty. Quicken will help you deliver your troops to the front line swiftly and, hopefully, in one piece. Return Fire seems like it will work best on a ‘jack or another hardy target. The free attack triggers after the attack on your model is resolved, so you need to survive if you want to tag the enemy back. Strakov looks like a lot of fun to play. He has to tools to ably support your army and his unit is capable of causing plenty of mayhem themselves. I can’t wait to get him on the table.

“More than just craftsmen, Forge Seers also take to the battlefield alongside the warjacks they help create. These Greylords apply their knowledge of magic and mechanika to imbue the weapons of warjacks with the power needed to cut down unnatural foes who are more than flesh and steel. Clad in Man-O-War armor, Greylord Forge Seers charge into battle with the hiss of steam in their ears and the chill of winter at their fingertips.”

The Greylord Forge Seer is a monster of a model. In my opinion, it’s one of the better sculpts that Privateer has recently released. The Seer’s statline is what you would expect from a Man-o-War Greylord. He’s low SPD and DEF, high ARM, middling MAT, and eight damage boxes. The Seer brings a slew of useful abilities to the battlefield. He’s got Immunity: Cold and Battle Wizard as you’d expect from a high ranking member of the Greylord Convenant and the Repairable rule common to the Man-o-War models. The Seer is also a ‘Jack Marshal with a unique Drive called Dark Sigils. This Drive gives the Warjack under the Seer’s control the Magic and Blessed properties on its melee and ranged weapons. To top it all off, the Greylord Forge Seer has Magic Ability [7] and access to three spells. Empower gives a focus point to a friendly Warjack and gets rid of Disruption. Hoarfrost is low range, high damage AoE spell causes Stationary on a critical hit. Winter’s Wind gives a friendly model that’s immune to cold the Freezer ability. Freezer causes enemy models (without immunity to cold) that end their activation near the affected model to become Stationary. The Forge Seer is armed with a magical POW 14 Rune Weapon that freezes enemy models on critical hits. The Greylord Forge Seer is well worth the 4 points it costs to bring him to the table.

It’s notable that the Greylord Forge Seer is the only model in the game to have both access to both ‘Jack Marshall and Empower. When you add in his Drive, the Seer is one of the most powerful ‘Jack Marshalls in the game. A ranged ‘jack with the Dark Sigils drive can be useful for taking out annoying incorporeal models like Pistol Wraiths. The Seer has no problems mixing it up in melee if his ‘jack gets totaled. His Battle Wizard ability can help him attack with Hoarfrost from unexpected angles or cover himself with Winter’s Wind to discourage enemies from leaving models to close to him. The Greylord Forge Seer seems like he’ll work great with Khador Warcasters who like to keep all their focus to themselves.

In the cold north of western Immoren lies the mighty Khadoran Empire, whose massive military epitomizes the national ideals of strength and resilience. This formidable force is led by powerful warcasters as unrelenting in battle as the bitter Khadoran winter and back by the most brutal and heavily armored warjacks ever to stride the battlefields of Immoren. With thundering ranks of bold imperial soldiers, howling madmen armed with ancient relics, and potent arcanists wielding forgotten and forbidden magic, the army of Khador marches with on singular goal: to carve out the greatest and most dominant empire the Iron Kingdoms has ever witnessed.

Forces of WARMACHINE: Khador Command provides the foundation you need to lead the empire’s conquest with:

• Complete rules and profiles for the proud warcasters and unstoppable warjacks of Khador, including two new warcasters and a new Man-O-War solo.

• Detailed history and background information, including an in-depth look at Khadoran warcasters and warjacks.

• A painting guide full of tips and inspiration to help you create an army as individual as you are.

• Two new theme forces that allow you to create specialized Khador armies with specific benefits.

FOR THE EMPRESS AND THE MOTHERLAND!

Like the others released before it, the Khador Command Book features the complete rules for the majority of the released models in the faction. It also contains additional info about the Khadoran military and the larger than life characters that wage war on the Empire’s behalf. The Command Book also includes an in-depth painting guide. There are guides for how to reproduce the studio paint scheme and for two fantastic variant schemes. I expected great things from the Khador Command Book and I wasn’t disappointed. I heartily recommend it to any true suns or daughters of the Motherland!

Looks like that’s all the time I’ve got for today. If you’ll excuse me, I have to return to the not too distant future. ‘Til next time, folks!

*Another month, another lineup of excellent miniatures from Privateer Press to showcase. This time hailing from those dark druidic denizens of the forest, the Circle of Orboros! As has become something of a monthly tradition I shall step aside and let Uncle Grumps chime in and tell you what’s what!*– Melvs

What’s up, Jerks? Uncle Grumps here again with another quick look at some new releases from Privateer Press. Today we’ll be focusing on the Circle of Orboros.

“During her time tending the far-flung griffon roosts of the Circle, Una developed an unparalleled affinity with the winged beasts and now employs them to cut down opponents without mercy. Having refined her arcane command over the elements, she is able to call upon the howling gales and updrafts of the highest mountain peaks to shape the flow of battle.”

Una the Skyhunter is the epic version of Una the Falconer, Circle’s character lesser warlock. Through her transition to a full-fledged warlock, Una has kept her affinity for the flying Warbeasts of the Circle. Una’s statline is fairly average for a Warlock with the exception of her lower that average MAT of 5. She also boasts a Fury 7, 15 hitboxes, and 29 Warbeast points. Una’s main weapon is her Wind Strike, a magical attack with decent range and POW. Wind Strike has 3 attack types you can chose from when making an attack. Black Penny allows Una to ignore the penalty for attacking a target in melee, Snipe gives her attack +4 RNG, and Thunderbolt pushes models directly away from Una. Wind Stike also has Reload [2] which allows Una to spend Fury to make up to 2 additional attacks. (I don’t know how someone would go about reloading a magic staff but apparently it’s no problem for the Skyhunter). Rounding out her weapons is Talonstrike, a magical, 2” reach melee weapon with a low POW. Una’s abilities include Bird of Prey which gives griffon Warbeasts in her control range Flank with other griffon’s in her battlegroup and Hawker which gives Sprint to Warbeasts with Flight in her Command range. Between the extra damage die from Flank and the movement shenanigans possible with Sprint, you’ll want to load up Una with as many griffon Warbeasts as possible.

Una has access to four spells. The first is Hand of Fate, a low cost upkeep that lets a Faction model/unit roll an additional die for attack and damage rolls and then discard the lowest. Mirage grants a Faction model/unit Apparition, which allows a model to be placed 2” from its current location during the Control Phase. Twister is a low cost offensive spell that creates a 3” AOE cloud effect for one round. Finally, Wind Wall is a moderately priced spell that causes non-magical ranged attacks to automatically miss the caster and any models completely with 3” of the caster. Additionally, models affected by Wind Wall cannot make ranged attacks. Una’s feat, From on High, gives Faction models with Flight in her control range +2 SPD and prevents friendly light Warbeasts from being targeted by melee attacks for one turn.

Scarsfell, Rotterhorn, and Razorwing Griffons all shine with Una. On her feat turn, these light Warbeasts can threaten huge parts of the board. Including a Gorax Rager for its Primal animus will allow you to buff your Griffons to even more ridiculous levels. Keep in mind that Una’s Warbeasts must be within 8” of her to benefit from Hawker. This can leave her vulnerable to a counterattack if you aren’t careful with your placement. Use Wind Wall to keep her safe from shooting and Twister to block line of sight. Una the Skyhunter brings an interesting bag of tricks to the table. She’ll have your opponents warily watching the skies for the whole game.

“Atop her moon-white wolf Laris, Kaya the Wildheart rides at the head of swift forces fighting with fang and claw. She and Laris operate as one, Kaya skewering foes with her spear while the great wolf’s jaws clamp down on exposed throats. Any pack of beasts under Kaya’s command strikes with stunning speed and power, rendering the opposition incapable of counterattack.”

Apparently, Kaya is no longer content to just use Laris as a “barknode” and has decided to ride the poor doggo around the battlefield. Kaya 3 has the similar stats to her two previous incarnations. She has lost a point of DEF and gained +2 ARM. Kaya’s weapon of choice is Mistral, a moderately powerful magical spear with 2” reach. She also has a moderately powerful mount attack courtesy of Laris. Kaya has the Pathfinder ability which allows her to ignore movement penalties from rough terrain and Reposition [3”] which allows her to advance 3” at the end of an activation in which she didn’t run or fail a charge. On top of all that, she has Field Marshall Reposition [3”] which gives all Warbeasts in her battlegroup Repostion.

Kaya 3 has four spells to work with. The first is Blood Spiller, an inexpensive, moderately power offensive spell that allows Warbeasts in Kaya’s battlegroup to charge or slam the model hit without being forced. Next we have Fog of War, a moderately expensive upkeep that gives concealment to all models in Kaya’s control range. Note that this includes enemy models. Soothing Song is a dirt cheap spell that allows Kaya to remove 1 point of fury from each living Warbeast in her control range. Kaya can only cast Soothing Song once per activation. Finally we have Synergy. This spell gives models in Kaya’s battlegroup a cumulative +1 bonus to melee attack and damage rolls (limited to +3)for each other model in her battlegroup that hit an enemy with a melee attack while in her control range. Kaya’s feat, Moon Shadow, gives friendly Faction models +2 DEF, lets them ignore free strikes, and allows them to move through enemy models for one round.

Just like her other incarnations, Kaya 3 is a warlock that wants plenty of Warbeasts in her battlegroup. Synergy is an extremely powerful spell. A Warpwolf Stalker that has warped strength and has the Synergy bonus is effectively MAT 9 and hits at POW 21. Fog of War can help your melee beasts get into combat without getting shot up. Soothing Song allows Kaya to take more living Warbeasts and lets her push those Warbeasts harder without fear of frenzy checks. Any Circle melee Warbeast is going to work well in a Kaya 3 list. Consider bringing a Gorax Rager or a Feral Warpwolf for the always useful Primal animus. A unit of Shifting Stones can help with fury management and help keep you Warbeasts in the fight. Kaya only has 6 fury to work with so bringing a Druid Wilder for the free upkeep might be a good investment. Kaya the Wildheart brings a powerful set of abilities to the battlefield and she stands ready to lead your beasts to victory!

Like the other two Command books that have been released, the Circle book contains the rules for the majority of the released models in the faction. This book also contains a plethora of useful information about how the enigmatic Circle is structured and how its members wage war. The Command book includes two new Theme Forces: The Bones of Orboros which focuses on the construct Warbeasts of the Circle, and The Wild Hunt which grants bonuses for bringing Wolf Sworn models and units. The back of the book contains guides for how to recreate the look of the studio Circle paint scheme and guides for two amazing variant schemes. I’d recommend this book to anyone who plays Circle or even has a passing interest in the Faction.

That’s all I’ve got for today. As always, feel free to post any comments or questions you might have. ‘Til next time, folks!

What’s up, heathens? Uncle Grumps here with another quick look at some of the latest releases from Privateer Press. Today we will be focusing on everyone’s favorite group of religious fanatics: The Protectorate of Menoth.

“Since becoming a full-fledged warcaster, Tristan Durant has been elevated to high station as a sovereign of the Protectorate. He serves the Creator by spreading the word of Menoth to all who would hear it. Though compassionate, Durant does not hesitate to unleash holy wrath in Menoth’s name upon his enemies, particularly when such foes threaten the safety of the growing flock under his protection.”

Durant has come a long way from being the Protectorate’s character journeyman warcaster solo. He’s kept his middle of the road stat line with the exception of his STR, MAT, ARM, and CMD, which have all received a slight increase. Durant has traded in his battle staff for Veritas, a moderately powerful spear with Damage Type: Magical, Critical Dispel, and 2 inch reach. Not only did Durant keep True Sight, which allows him to ignore Stealth and cloud effects when determining line of sight, he also gained a Field Marshal ability that allows him to grant this benefit to warjacks in his battlegroup.

Durant’s spell list is where things start to get really interesting. Chasten is a low cost, short ranged offensive spell with the same POW as his spear. Upkeep spells and animi are removed from models damaged by Chasten. Cleansing Fire is moderately costed, short range AoE attack spell that deals a decent amount of fire damage. On a critical hit, all models hit are set on fire. Hand of the Creator is medium cost spell that heals all friendly Faction models in Durant’s control range d3 damage points. Inviolable Resolve is a cheap upkeep spell that gives +2 ARM to a friendly Faction model/unit. Additionally, those models can’t be moved by a slam or push. Manifest Destiny lets warjack’s in Durant control range roll additional die on melee attack and damage rolls and then discard the lowest die of each roll. Durant’s feat, Prayers of War, gives each warjack in his control range a focus point and gives Durant one focus point, up to his maximum, for each warjack in his control range.

Looking at Durant, it’s obvious that he’s a warcaster that wants a large battlegroup. Between his feat and Manifest Destiny, Durant is a able to get the most out of the Protectorate’s already stellar warjacks. Temple Flameguard make a good target for Inviolable Resolve, which makes them an extremely durable tar pit unit that can’t be pushed or slammed out of the way. It’s worth noting that Hand of the Creator restores hit points to all models in Durant’s control range, not just warjacks. Multi-wound units such as the Exemplar Bastions or the Flame Bringers will be more difficult to remove from the table unless a concerted effort is made to take them down. In short, Sovereign Tristan Durant is a versatile warcaster that supports many different play-styles.

Feora, the Conquering Flame continues on her rising trajectory within the Protectorate. She has taken the reins of the southern armies like never before and has extended her participation in crusades abroad. Her aspirations have always been higher—to rule the theocracy—and the time has come when her flame may rise to its ultimate ascendancy as Feora continues to solidify her place at the heart of the nation’s dawning golden age.

Feora 3 ( F3ora? 3-ora?) is the latest epic Protectorate warcaster to mount up and become a cavalry model. She boasts a decent stat-line with higher than average SPD, MAT, and ARM. Feora has kept her weapons from her previous incarnation: a long ranged spray flamethrower and a magical spear with a decent POW and Critical Fire. As a cavalry model, she also has a moderately powerful mount attack. Feora has the assault ability, which allows her to make a free ranged attack while charging, and immunity to fire damge. She also possesses the Flame Trail ability which makes enemy models she comes into B2B contact with suffer Continuous Fire. Rounding out her abilities, Feora has Reposition [3] which allows her to advance 3” at the end of an activation in which she didn’t run or fail a charge.

Feora’s new spell list provides everyone’s favorite pyromaniac with some new tricks. Banishing Ward is a low cost upkeep spell that protects a friendly model/unit from enemy upkeeps and animi. Fire Step is a low cost spell with a range of SELF. When cast, enemy models close to Feora suffer a moderately powerful fire damage roll and Feora herself can be placed anywhere within 3” of her current location. Incite is an expensive spell that grants friendly Faction models +2 to attack and damage rolls against enemy models while they are in Feora’s command range. Molten Metal is a cheap offensive spell that causes 1 point of fire damage to each column on a warjack’s damage grid. Redline is an upkeep that grants +2 STR and SPD to a warjack in Feora’s battlegroup. This spell also allows a warjack to run, charge, slam, or trample for free but the affected ‘jack suffers d3 damage points at the end of it’s activation. Feora’s feat is Clash of Flames. It allows Feora to immediately cast Incite without spending focus and grants her Flame Trail ability to friendly Faction models in her control range for one turn.

This new version of Feora brings and interesting mix of abilities and spells to the table. You’ll want to play her towards the front to get the most of Incite. Fire Step can be used to get yourself out of trouble is Feora gets surrounded or just to extend her already impressive threat range. Use Repostion to have her retreat to safety if necessary. Redline can be cast on any of the Protectorate’s amazing melee ‘jacks. Flame Bringers can help make the most of Feora’s feat. Between Parry, Repostion, and Side Step, the Flame Bringers can spread the Continuous Fire effect to a surprisingly large number of your opponent’s models. Feora, The Conquering Flame looks like a blast to play and I can’t wait to get her on the table!

The Command book contains the stats for nearly every model currently released for the Protectorate. In addition to model rules, the Command book features two new theme forces. The Creator’s Might which rewards you for playing ‘jack heavy and Guardians of the Temple which features buffs for various Flameguard units. You can also find plenty of information of the structure and organization of the Protectorate military. Like all of Privateer Press’ books, the Protectorate Command book is filled with gorgeous artwork. This is in addition to gallery of painted models located near the back of the book. It even includes a painting guide with tips on how to recreate the studio paint scheme and guides for variant schemes. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying this book and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Protectorate of Menoth.

Looks like that’s all the time I have for this week. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some heretics to burn! ‘Til next time, folks!

Welcome 2017! Also, welcome back to the Geekery. I’ve been absent for quite some time, I know, but I feel refreshed and ready to bring you all the gaming news, reviews, and tidbits from my day to day gaming you desire. There are plenty of things in the pipe for this year for potential changes to the site, I’ll get to those in a moment.

GIFTS!

I hope all my fellow gamers, who celebrate the holidays with gift giving, received gifts as cool as what I received. I figured I’d do a little bragging about these right up front, this is my blog and all.

Dungeonology

This book is an interesting little bird (big thanks to my awesome sis in law for getting it for me!). Obviously it’s more for beginners or collectors of cool D&D books than for the use of a seasoned Dungeon Master, but it has some really cool features on the inside that bring me back to the days when the concepts of D&D were shiny and new. I’ll be giving this book a more thorough run down in a later post but it’s certainly a fun book to own. A great way to introduce new players to the concepts and challenges of a good dungeon delve.

Board Games!

Sarah and I love them, and you can never have too many. This year we received two and an expansion to one. Sarah made out huge in the board game arena, Machi Koro is one of her all time favs and as much as we both love Smash Up she typically has the edge on me so our good buddy Jake got her the Pretty Pretty Expansion. We also received Forbidden Island, which if you’ve never tried it it’s a great game for introducing others to the newer generation of games, especially because it’s cooperative.

Chessex Gaming Mat!

Thanks go to Uncle Grumps for this bad boy. My old mat was tiny, and stained to Hell. We’ve been using a dry erase board for a while now. Awesome to have this now.

Dice and Dice Bags

So my sister in law and my mother in law teamed up here. My mother in law is an enormously talented crafter, who actually has a crafting business now that she has retired. Well, she took some time to make me a bunch of dice bags and then they got me a Big Bag of Dice so I can put together some dice bags to hand out to the kids in my Library games who don’t have dice yet! Giving me the ability to gift to others makes this probably one of the best gifts I received this year.

Cool Notebook

I saw this cool little journal in a hole in the wall bookstore that Sarah and I love to visit near our church. I mentioned offhandedly that someone could use such a thing to keep notes on gaming campaigns, and look nerdily cool whilst doing so. She bought the thing right under my nose. I tried to take a pic of the note she wrote me but It’s hard to get it in focus. It reads:

Kevin,

With love and admiration, I give you this journel to keep your adventures, creativity, and words of a world full of wonder! Best wishes on all your journeys beyond our realms.

Love,

Your wife Sarah

I’m a lucky guy ♥.

Secret Gift

There’s one gift I’m not going to picture just yet but will at a later date. Suffice it to say it’s my favorite and I hope to premier it at Gen Con 50. May have tipped you off with that last sentence though ;P.

IN GAMING NEWS

I haven’t spent much time talking about it but I’ve been running a game of Storm King’s Thunder for my group. It’s been a pretty fun experience so far, even if we have been plagued by the inability to truly string together consistent play time (people have lives apparently 😛). Despite our issues getting together we’ve moved along at a decent clip, just now beginning the gargantuan chapter three. It’ll be a challenging portion of the game, for a pre-made, there’s a lot of information for the would-be Dungeon Master to digest and organize for the players but, it’ll also be the most sandbox portion of the adventure and my players will certainly dig that. After all, it took a lot of convincing to get them to take a ride in Zephryos’ Tower (and after they were aboard they mentioned if they’d know about the wizard hat that crowned the thing they would have flat out refused on principle lol).

A couple of cool things about this campaign in general is that one of my players, Nick (you may know him as Uncle Grumps from his previous contribution efforts), is running a descendant from a game we played together back in our High School days. In fact the way I got their party to board Zephryos’ flying tower was by having my old character (still alive because..elf) be already aboard and waiting to meet the grandson of Rizzen the Great. Another cool aspect of the game is the return of an old friend to our gaming group who’s been out of state for a long time as he is in the Navy. Somehow he landed a recruitment position here in Missouri and we are all very thankful to have him back with us.

I continue to run my once a month game at the local library for teens interested in learning about D&D and I’m happy to say that, despite the fact I still run the game for about 10-15 kids at a time, the legacy players are getting really adept at the game and are very capable of assisting newcomers. There were a number of times in the recent past I couldn’t make it to a session and they had no issue picking up the slack and running a game themselves. I’m now entering my third year of doing this and I’m happy to report that I’m probably not even necessary at this point. Still, I love going and the kids are enjoying my run through of Hoard of the Dragon Queen so I’ll keep at it! Now that I have some extra Dice Bags to hand out I can’t wait to see the kids again.

COMING SOON IN 2017

There are so many cool things coming this year that I’ll likely forget a bunch while putting them to print here. I’ll give it a go though.

CONS

Right off the bat I feel I need to mention Geekway to the West 2017. The 13th Annual Geekway to the West is set for May 18-21, 2017 at the St. Charles Convention Center in St. Charles, Missouri. If you love Board Games I can’t name a better convention to attend. They’ve only got a little over 400 badges remaining though, and considering badges went on sale on January 2nd they will sell out, and fast. For $60 you can attend the con all four days, you receive a random free board game (a quality one at that, twice now the game I received had a Market Price that matched my badge fee), and so much more. Seriously check out the site, make the trip and visit me in Missouri.

Gen Con 50 folks. I fully intend to be there this year and, with a little pressure and luck, I might bring a few buddies with me this time (buddies beyond what twitter and the blog have helped me garner that is).

Really, Acadecon is one of the best little big cons out there. I truly wish I’d of been able to make it to Acadecon 2016, but I wasn’t going to miss the wedding of a good friend. Two of my best friends are getting married to some awesome gals in the fall of 2017, one wedding is in late October and then the other takes place the week after Acadecon 2017 so chances might be thin I can make it but I’m sure going to try! I love the good folks of the RPG Academy Network and the other attendees of this Con are fantastic as well. Here’s hoping!

GAMERSTABLE PODCAST COMING TO A CLOSE

After years of podcasting, and 300 episodes, the Gamerstable Podcast is ending its run. Back when I first started really getting into the world of folks gabbing about tabletop RPGs on social media it seemed crazy to me that regular folks were coming together and podcasting about this game I love so much. First it was the Monkey in the Cage podcast who really welcomed me into the fold (I will always have a special place in my heart for Matt, Robert, Karen, and Ramses) but soon to follow was a crazy group of gamers who I was surprised to find lived just across the river in Illinois. Matt Fuller introduced me to them, and they didn’t have to give me the time of day. Instead they became close friends.

The Gamerstable Podcast has put forth some of the coolest content over its run. Frankly I find their style of taking actual play content and editing it to sound like a radio drama to be the best in the business. That’s beyond the discussion roundtable style they cut their teeth on though, and you can find a ton of great gaming advice throughout their many episodes. Plus, I’ve always enjoyed their bite sized chunks (most eps. are about 30 mins in length). Feel free to catch their last episode here, and when you’re done check the rest of the site.

I’d be remiss if I failed to mention that this won’t be the complete disappearance of what I call the “Gamerstable Crew”. Eric Austley, the initiator and leader for Gamerstable, is going to pour more of his energy into his newest project that builds on the success of the Actual Plays put out by Gamerstable. Openly Gamer Theater currently houses a ton of great content and will more than likely feature many of the voices you heard over the years on Gamerstable too! Also, OGT is a yet another proud member of the RPG Academy Network, so you know it’s quality.

STUFF FOR MY SITE

So I need to pull this article to a close and nothing fits better than detailing a few things about the site!

In late 2016 Privateer Press increased its level of involvement with my site for review of their materials and this means I will hopefully have even more Warmachine\Hordes models and products to review going into 2017. To help with this Nick, a.k.a. Uncle Grumps, has made mention of the desire to continue writing pieces on various items associated with WarmaHordes, and hopes to even run something big for our group of players. Also, if you’ve paid attention to the photo gallery on my Warmachine\Hordes page on the site you will have likely seen some of Mike “The Meatfist” Bortz’s excellent work painting his miniatures. Not only will he continue to send me photos of his art but he has promised me a step by step painting guide of one of the newer models to come out for the Trollbloods hordes unit, Madrak, Great Chieftain (Madrak 3). I hope to unveil this soon! Lastly, Topher has been talking about throwing a post or two on here about board games, an excellent candidate for such a thing. I hope he can get around to it (he is getting married this year, me might be somewhat busy).

Here’s to some great gaming in 2017! If you feel I missed some news, hit me up in the Comments. What are you excited about this year?

*Hey everyone, I’m pleased to announce the debut article from a good friend of mine, Nick, a.k.a. Uncle Grumps. The guy simply knows more than I do about Warmachine/Hordes. He’s the guy who introduced me and he’s a driving force for why I still play. I think I even beat him once. So whether he’s Krushing you with Khador, Mincing you with Mercs or Minions, PLASTERING you with Protectorate of Meno… you know what… just please enjoy his article. – Melv

What’s up, Jerks? This is Uncle Grumps and I’m here to talk about Warmachine/Hordes.

First of all, an introduction is in order. I’ve known Melvin since grade school, and yes, I do have an endless amount of embarrassing stories I could divulge. I started playing Warmachine/Hordes in 2009 and immediately fell in love. My main factions are Khador, Mercenaries, and Minions. I also have a small smattering of Protectorate of Menoth and Cryx. I would consider myself to be a casual player, although I have played in my fair share of local tournaments. Since I’m a bit more knowledgeable about WarmaHordes than Melvin, I’ve agreed to help him out with a series of articles to showcase the game. In other words, I’ve hijacked Mel’s website and he’s not getting it back.

Today, I want to take a quick look at two recently released solos. First up is Major Harrison Gibbs, a mercenary model that works only for Cygnar and is a Partisan for that faction. From Privateer Press’ website:

Available as of 11/09/2016

MP $14.99

“A natural survivor and ruthless pragmatist, the man known as Gibbs is as capable on the battlefield as any professional soldier. As a cook in a Cygnaran trencher company, Gibbs was stranded behind enemy lines and was forced to adapt to survive. Wearing the uniform of a dead officer, he introduced himself not as a cook but as Trencher Major Harrison Gibbs and has become a vital member of the Llaelese Resistance.”

Quite a backstory, eh? Major Gibbs’ model is full of small, characterful details that reflect this background, such as the frying pan and spatula tied to his pack or the holes worn in his scavenged overcoat.

A glance at the front of Gibbs’ card reveals a stat line that is thoroughly average. His speed, MAT, RAT, defense, armor, and command are all middle of the road. Gibbs wields a standard military rifle with one notable exception. When you make an attack with his rifle you can choose one of two attack types: a standard rifle shot or an AOE 3 POW 10 grenade shot. Gibbs is also packing a club with middling range and damage but crit brutal damage for a bit of extra oomph. Top it off with Assault and Tough, and you have a solo that isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.

The back of Gibbs’ card contains a plethora of useful abilities. Dodge allows him to advance 2” after an enemy attack misses him. Feign Death means he cannot be targeted by ranged or magic attacks while he is knocked down. Gibbs also has Reposition (3”) which allows him to advance 3” after an activation in which he did not run or charge. His Leadership (Llaelese) ability grants Feign Death and Reposition (3”) to any Llaelese warrior models in Gibbs’ command range. For now, the only models with the Llaelese keyword are Ashlynn d’Elyse, Anastasia di Bray, Gastone Cross, Groman Di Wulfe, Ragman, Sgt Nicolas Verendrye, the Thorn Gun Mages and Gibbs himself. However this is likely to change once Privateer releases a Highborn Covenant-style Llaelese theme force. Last, but certainly not least, is the Hot Meal ability. This ability allows Gibbs fully heal all friendly, living, Faction, warrior models in his command range once per game. Yes, this includes your Warcaster.

Major Gibbs is an interesting collection of survival and buffing abilities. His synergy with Ashlynn is obvious. Giving the speedy Warcaster Feign Death, Reposition (3”) and the option to fully heal once per game is huge. He can also grant these abilities to key Llaelese support solos like Gorman or Ragman. As great as his buffing potential is, you shouldn’t discount his combat prowess. His ability to throw out 3” POW 10 AOE’s and then Reposition out of harms way can be devastating to clumped groups of warrior models. As of right now, Gibbs has more to offer a Mercenary army than a Cygnaran force, but I foresee that changing in the future. I wouldn’t be surprised if Privateer released a Cygnaran Trencher theme force that features Gibbs.

A placeholder as Grumps paints

The other solo we’ll be taking a look at today is the Blighted Nyss Warlord from the Legion of Everblight. From Privateer Press’ website:

The Warlord is a melee combat monster. His stat line is average for a solo except for his low RAT and exceptional MAT. His double claymore boasts the same range and damage as the swords of the Blighted Nyss Swordsmen along with the Weapon Master ability. The back of the card is where things really start to get interesting. The Warlord’s first listed ability is Blade Shield which gives him +2 DEF against ranged attacks. This provides a slight increase in survivability but a concentrated effort can still take them down at range. Next up is Cleave which grants the Warlord one additional attack if he destroys an enemy model with a melee attack. When this is combined with Overtake, which lets the Warlord advance 1” after destroying an enemy model, it gives the Warlord to strike multiple targets at unexpected angles. The Warlord also has Precision Strike which allows his controller to choose the column or branch damaged when attacking warjacks or warbeasts. He also grants Blighted Nyss Swordsmen in his command range Precision Strike thanks to his Leadership ability. Finally, the Warlord’s double claymore has the Decapitation ability. This doubles any damage that exceeds the ARM of the target. All of this combines to make the Blighted Nyss Warlord a veritable killing machine.

You’d hard pressed to find a Legion army that couldn’t benefit from a Warlord or two. Thagrosh, the Messiah can empower Warlords to hit harder and more accurately with Manifest Destiny. The extra attack and placement from Rhyas, Sigil of Everblight’s feat can help a Warlord to get even more out of Overtake. You may find it challenging to deliver the Warlord into melee, especially after your opponent sees the havoc it can wreak on his or her models. A Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew can help ensure the Warlord arrives intact and ready to rock.

A placeholder as Grumps paints.

That’s all I’ve got for today. I’m moving Gibbs and the Warlord to the front of my painting queue. Hopefully I’ll have some photos to share soon. Feel free to post any comments or questions you may have. Complaints can go straight to Melvin. ‘Til next time, folks!